jev wrote:Alright, the month isn't even half gone, but still, I don't think I'll top my shot yesterday. Alcaidesa Links, hole 12, 202 meters from the tips against the wind. Going down, I guess 70 meters or so. The green is small, and water lures just before the green. 3-wood landed just a foot or so behind the pin, where it burried itself almost to the top of the ball. Easy birdie.

Not sure about shot of the month but I had par save of the year last weekend. The 17th green is fronted by a pond. Beyond pond is 5 yards of rocks then 15 yards of fairway before reaching the green.

Hit a crappy low approach that skipped through the water and hit the rocks (the rocks are one of those fun things - can bounce forward to the green or backward into the water). This ball bounced straight up and came down on a small piece of turf between the pond and the rocks - couldn't be more than a sq. foot. I went down to retrieve my ball and realized that I could get a club on it without falling into the water. So a carefully chopped at the ball, landing it just short of the green and then rolling on. Then made a 10 footer for par.

srogers13 wrote:I made about an 105 ft putt today (paced off 35 steps) to save a par today. Putt started downhill then uphill breaking right to left about halfway to the hole, then downhill breaking right.

srogers13 wrote:I made about an 105 ft putt today (paced off 35 steps) to save a par today. Putt started downhill then uphill breaking right to left about halfway to the hole, then downhill breaking right.

Wow, that's quite impressive. Did you try it again, after the play for the hole was over?

I played a local executive course over the weekend. On this course, the last two holes are pure, unadulterated evil. Number 17 is a long par 3 where, if it lands short, it's going to roll down into never-never land. That's a euphamism for a a deep ravine that is impossible to hit out of. I've played this course about a dozen times. I've never parred this hole.

Last weekend, I hit a pin-seeker off of the tee. It was a front side pin, but I still took an extra club because I have had way too many heartbreaks on this hole. The front edge of the green drops off at an unwalkable 50% grade, so it is common for balls coming up just short to react as if they hit a brick wall. My shot on this day caught the very top edge of that slope and bounched way the hell up into the air. It landed forward from there, just a coule of inches in front of the hole. Then the backspin caught it and pulled it back towards that evil, evil front edge. I was holding my breath. If it doesn't stop now, it's not gonna stop until it's at the bottom of the ravine.

And then it stopped.

Of course, going up to look at the ball showed me that it still had a good three feet to roll before it caught never-neverl land, but I was left with about a 12' birdie putt on a hole that I have never parred before.

Totally whiffed on June. Not going to happen this month! Yes, there is another week left and probably 3-4 rounds but I must aver that my chip shot (4th shot) on the opening par 5 of our tournament last Thursday was the best.

Our tournaments are shotgun starts so we started on #11. I hit a very nice drive down the middle and a 3-wood straight up the fairway between water (left) and OB on the right. I watched as a couple guys hit the green with their 3rd shots and their balls rolled & rolled until they went off the back. I was 60 yards to the hole and hit a high sand wedge a bit right of the flag and 10 yards short of the hole. It hit and rolled...and rolled...and rolled until it got close to the back left edge, where it rolled down a steep slope to the pond. Someone said, "I think it went in the water."

I was fuming. I grabbed another ball, my wedge and putter and walked over to survey the disaster. I had caught a break!! The ball stopped 4 inches from the water. Sort of like Fred Couples tee shot on #12 at the Masters.

My subsequent chip up the steep bank ended 2 feet from the hole and I tapped in for par. After hitting three very nice shots, a bogey or worse on the first hole would have done a lot of mental damage. Instead, that chip shot saved my par and I played well for the balance of the tournament, shooting 78 (finished in a tie for 2nd).

BK's description of a great chip brought these two recent ones to memory:

On a nothing special par 5, the pin is located short and left, maybe 4 paces from the left edge, just past a false front. I have 75 yds left or so for my third and pull it just a bit, and end up exactly hole high just outside the apron: I could putt it and that's probably what most people would choose, but I like chipping (more and more so lately), so here goes a slightly lofted pitch-chip, one hop and in, for birdie.

The same week at the same course on the #1 handicap hole, my second shot was a bit poor and I ended up maybe 20 yards from the pin, the green is elevated (probably a good 12 feet up from where my ball is), there is this massive bunker between me and the green and the pin is 5-6 yards into the green, with tons more room behind (red pin). The ball is in a slight indentation, similar to a partially healed divot hole: I take my sand wedge and make a pretty big swing at the ball with no follow through: the ball starts on a good line and high enough. Good, I am on the green I think to myself and can probably save bogey, and then my partners yell "it's in!" Two small hops and roll for a foot or so into the cup, for birdie.

My September was a bit golfless, being out of the country for much of the month. The best and most timely was early in the month at one of my fav courses, Pierce Lake. I arrived at #18 needing a par 3 to break 80. I had just finished butchering #16 and #17. The final hole is listed at around 195 yards but the hole location can add 30 yards. On this day is was around 200. I put my 3 wood (yes, I am that short ) about 15 feet from the hole and managed to two putt for par and a "79."

177 yard 4i up hill into a stiff breeze on a short par 5. Situationally it was the best shot of the month. My partner and I were mounting a comeback from the penultimate group to 5 shots outside the money (and we've only played 5 holes so far on the day and started 11 back from the money). Short par 5 so there was a lot of waiting in the FW. After a good 10-15 min wait (woo hoo 5+ hour tournament rounds) I smoked it. It cut about 5 yards too far to the back right pin. Nearly chipped in for eagle (still not sure how the chip didn't fall).

Played on the Judge Course at Capitol Hill on Saturday, and sot my second best round ever on the course, an 82. Playing the 12th hole, a par 3 all carry over water, we had about 163 to a front pin. My friend hits a 4 iron to the back left of the green. I come up to hit a 6 iron, but I fan it short and right into the water. Friend goes that his putt or chip just got a lot easier. So I go around to forward tee to play from a drop area, about 105 yards, hit a gap wedge past the hole, then watched as it rolled back for par. Friend says his putt or chip just got a lot harder. So my friend and the random person we were paired with both hit the green in regulation, and three putt for bogey. The idiot who splashes his tee shot makes par.

Wednesday at Esplanade Golf & Country Club, Bradenton, FL. Hit an embarrassingly poor slice off the tee on a long par 4 leaving me about 290 yards to the hole. Announced to my playing partners that I have just turned the hole into a par 5. However, after a very good 3W to 78 yards out, hit a 3/4, 54* wedge to 18 inches past, which spun back a foot, and tapped in for par. Felt like a birdie.

I hit a good 9-iron out of a divot to pin high. It's an elevated partially blind green so I had to drive up to see the ball and when I did I kind of grunted and said "Git 'er done!" which is weird because I have never said that before in my life.

srogers13 wrote:Played on the Judge Course at Capitol Hill on Saturday, and sot my second best round ever on the course, an 82. Playing the 12th hole, a par 3 all carry over water, we had about 163 to a front pin. My friend hits a 4 iron to the back left of the green. I come up to hit a 6 iron, but I fan it short and right into the water. Friend goes that his putt or chip just got a lot easier. So I go around to forward tee to play from a drop area, about 105 yards, hit a gap wedge past the hole, then watched as it rolled back for par. Friend says his putt or chip just got a lot harder. So my friend and the random person we were paired with both hit the green in regulation, and three putt for bogey. The idiot who splashes his tee shot makes par.

Not a huge supply of "best shots" for the month so I will select a very recent effort, Yesterday I was playing the "year round open" course Fox Hills. I was one of two people who played yesterday. 45 degrees, very windy (20 mph with strong gusts) but sunny. Actually kind of pleasant. The course is a soggy mess but playable. The 4th hole was playing around 380 and with my carry distance around 200 yards, I had 180 left. I took a 3/4 three wood and hit it solidly, ending up 2 feet from the hole, which I managed to finish.

The birdie got me to -1 for the round. I checked the stats and in 10 years that is the 1 birdie for me on the hole (34 efforts).

So my last round I had 2 really good shots. Honestly I feel the first one was more impressive given the situation.

Playing best ball we were 1 shot out of 1st, 2 holes left and we aren't getting any shots. So we know we need to be -1. I hit a pop fly drive, my partner hits it ob. I have 199 yards left and hit a 5i to 18' for a chance to tie (yes I can't putt).

But being results oriented it's hard to argue with holing a 9i from 134 yards into the wind for birdie. Another poor drive led to a punch out. Prior to that I have never holed out from more than 40 yards (been golfing for nearly 30 years).

Congrats - I know both of those feelings. This summer I holed one from 100 yards or so, but because I hit a bad tee shot it was for birdie instead of eagle. On the other hand, if someone asks me about my best shot ever, I SHOULD instantly think about my lone eagle which was a 160 yard hole out from the fairway. But to be honest, the eagle happened during a very casual 9 I was playing after work - nothing meaningful in the score other than the one shot. Instead, when asked about my best shot, the first thing that comes to mind is a gutsy crazy curving 5i I hit to break 80 on my home course the first time after shooting 80 on the nose 5+ times.

Most months I have quite a few candidates but February is not typically a kind month. I did manage to play 27 holes yesterday. A few shots were decent and a lot left a bad smell in the air. So I have to go back to my earlier efforts on the "flat seven" at Huron Hills. The 6th is a Par 3 measuring about 195 yards. Huron Hills dates back to the early part of the 20th century so the greens are small and typically built up from the surrounding turf. This green has a large deep bunker on the right side and a small pot bunker guarding the left front. The tee shot comes out of a copse of trees and is slightly up hill.

In the cold temperatures I typically bunt a driver. I managed to bunt to about 2 feet for a tap in birdie. A nice surprise.